The ABCs of Alex and Olivia
by abbierena
Summary: Just a fluffy little story about Alex's love for her detective
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been toying with this idea for awhile now, but I'm not sure if an 'ABC' story has already been done. If so, let me know and I'll change it. :) Oh, and thank you to sonadoras for inspiring me.**

**A is for A simple gesture…**

After nearly a decade of having an on again off again relationship with her girlfriend, Alex felt as if she deserved more. The majority of her friends were either married with children or getting married and Alex was reminded of this as she sifted through her mail and saw two wedding invitations and a baby shower invitation. It was rare for Alex and Olivia to have an entire day off together, let alone a day off that happened to fall on the day of a wedding, but in the event that they did Olivia was always Alex's 'plus one.' As much as she loved Olivia and as much as she enjoyed spending time with her, she dreaded doing so in front of her friends. A simple comment about how lovely a wedding is would always lead to someone asking the two of them when they planned on getting married. Alex and Olivia would immediately change the subject to avoid answering the question altogether.

She knew having children wasn't going to happen for them, but was marriage too much to ask for? She wasn't asking for Olivia to walk down the aisle in a white dress or for the two of them to even have a wedding. All Alex wanted was for the two of them to sign a marriage license so she could have something to show for the past ten years with Olivia. At this point, she would even settle for a key to Olivia's apartment.

Alex's friends had told her it was time to move on, but Alex knew she wasn't ready for that. She loved her girlfriend, which is something she never imagined having to say at her age. She knew she should have the privilege of saying she loved her wife, but loving Olivia as her girlfriend was better than not having Olivia in her life at all. Or were her friends right about her situation? Was she settling when she could be with someone who was willing to have that type of commitment with her?

While walking from the mailboxes up to her apartment, Alex checked her phone and realized that she hadn't received a single phone call or text message from Olivia in three days. She decided to keep that bit of information to herself because if she told her friends they would add it to their list of 'cons' about being in a relationship with Olivia.

What her friends never saw were the 'pros' about being Olivia's girlfriend. When they were together, she was attentive. She listened to every word Alex said and when Alex would fall asleep on Olivia's arm, she'd never move it no matter how numb it became. They were simple gestures, but they meant so much to Alex.

She opened the door to her apartment and was surprised to see the lights on and her girlfriend waiting for her on the couch. There were two glasses of wine on the coffee table with coasters underneath them because Alex had always told her that thick rings on the coffee table were one of her pet peeves. Two glasses of wine and a girlfriend who actually listens? Alex began wondering what she had done to deserve this.

Olivia didn't say a word, she just motioned for Alex to sit next to her on the couch. When she sat down, she was handed a glass of wine and a gaudy keychain with 'Alexandra' spelled out in colorful beads. It looked like the one she had made at a sleepover when she was twelve and when she saw the pink heart bead at the end with a little knick from where she had once dropped it, she knew it was the same exact keychain.

"How did you get this?" Alex asked, feeling the letters engraved in every bead.

Olivia smirked. "I found it on top of your dresser when we spent the night at your dad's house. I like that he left your bedroom the way it was when you were growing up."

"Olivia, that was six months ago. You've been holding on to it since then?"

"I was saving it for a special occasion," Olivia told her. When she saw Olivia search for something in the front pockets of her pants, Alex knew her surprise wasn't over. Alex took a sip of wine as Olivia was searching. She thought there was no way she could love that woman more than she already did until Olivia handed her a key.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"I just thought it would look good on the keychain," Olivia said nonchalantly.

Alex now had the key to her girlfriend's apartment and she was already thinking of the many ways she'd be able to surprise her.


	2. Chapter 2

**B is for birthday suit…**

Olivia always had the same request for her birthday—time alone with Alex—and this birthday was going to be no different. They could have taken a day trip or gone out to dinner, but Olivia refused. After a particularly trying case, Olivia was feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted and all she wanted was a night of seclusion with her girlfriend.

Olivia's wish was Alex's command and, with some help from her friends (the ones who actually approved of her relationship with Olivia), she came up with the perfect plan for her girlfriend's birthday. She had been given a key to Olivia's apartment and she was finally going to put it to use.

Alex arrived at her girlfriend's apartment and was greeted by the sight of dirty dishes piled up in the sink. Realizing there was still an hour before Olivia was expected to arrive, Alex decided to clean up for her. Usually, Alex couldn't fathom dating someone who didn't do their dishes on a daily basis, but Olivia was different. Olivia's schedule was as hectic as hers if not more so. There were days when Olivia didn't even have an opportunity to sleep, so tasks like washing dishes were trivial in comparison.

When all of her dishes were washed and put away, Alex went to Olivia's bedroom to work on her surprise. As expected, her bedroom was immaculate; there were no clothes on the floor and her bed was perfectly made. Alex had once asked Olivia why she insisted on her bedroom being so perfect and she had revealed it's because that's where the two of them are intimate with each other and where they had first gone from having casual sex to making love. Alex thought about that night as she laid on top of her girlfriend's bed. Olivia had been the first to say it—she was always the first to initiate each step in their relationship and it was something Alex was still learning how to accept. Olivia had wrapped her arms around her as Alex was recovering from an orgasm brought on by her girlfriend's skilled tongue when Olivia started planting kisses on her neck. Alex's strength was spent and she was secretly hoping her girlfriend wasn't expecting round two, but instead of letting her hands roam Alex's body like they usually did, Olivia whispered the words "I love you" into Alex's ear. Alex knew in her heart that she had the same feelings for Olivia, but she hesitated to say it in return for fear that it would sound like a reflex. Alex had waited two years for that moment, two years of planning the perfect response, but all she could do was smile and say that she loved her too. She was grateful when her girlfriend noticed the sincerity in her response and the two of them fell asleep embracing each other tighter than ever before.

With that memory still playing in her mind, Alex went over to the shopping bag she had brought that held everything she needed for Olivia's birthday surprise. She got three rose-scented candles out of her bag and strategically placed them on the nightstand so the two of them would still be able to see each other even if the lights were off. She lit the candles immediately so the scent would fill the room by the time Olivia arrived. She then grabbed a small bag of rose petals and started placing them in a way that would form a trail from her apartment door to her bed. Alex had worried about it being cheesy or overdone, but having a key to Olivia's apartment made her feel as if they had taken their relationship to a new level and, because of that, Alex was willing to be a little over the top for her woman.

Her girlfriend was due home in less than ten minutes, so Alex started putting the final touches on Olivia's birthday surprise. She unbuttoned her blouse and neatly placed it in the shopping bag, followed by her pants and her undergarments. Alex had debated wearing lingerie, but she didn't want any part of her body hidden from Olivia. Alex contemplated how to position herself on Olivia's bed and the moment she heard Olivia unlock the apartment door, she decided to lie on her side with her head resting on her hand.

"Alex?" Olivia called out, but Alex didn't respond.

Alex's heart started to race when she heard her girlfriend following the trail. Instead of planning the rest of the night, Alex wanted to gauge Olivia's reaction to her being naked on her bed. Were they going to cuddle? Were they going to make love? Alex knew it would probably be a combination of both, but she still wondered what pace they would go at.

"Happy birthday," Alex said softly the moment she saw her girlfriend. Olivia's reaction was one Alex hadn't expected. Her mouth was slightly open and all she could do was stare at Alex. Of all the times Olivia had seen her girlfriend naked, this was the first time she was rendered speechless. Alex mentally patted herself on the back and, when she noticed her girlfriend wasn't making a move, she decided to make her way over to her.

She removed Olivia's shirt and let it fall to the ground, followed by her bra. This wasn't what Alex had in mind, but she needed that skin-to-skin contact with the woman she loved.

"I wasn't expecting this," Olivia said as she ran her fingertips along Alex's back. Alex never understood how, but just a simple touch from Olivia was enough to make her completely feral. She began fumbling with Olivia's belt until Olivia sensed her frustration and removed it for her along with every stitch of clothing she was still wearing.

Before Alex realized what they were doing, they had ended up in their usual position; Olivia on top with Alex's legs spread underneath. Although she'd rather have her girlfriend's entire body pressed against her, she didn't mind when Olivia insisted on using her arms to support her upper body because it gave her the perfect opportunity to focus on her girlfriend's strong, but loving arms, the same arms that were going to be embracing her when they were both exhausted from making love.

Not once did the two of them break eye contact as they moved in perfect rhythm with each other. For the first time in their relationship, Olivia came with Alex. It wasn't the most mind-blowing orgasm Alex ever had, but it was the most significant. She was now in sync with her girlfriend in every possible way.


	3. Chapter 3

**C is for cuddling…**

When Alex received an invitation to her sorority's reunion, she was torn between three RSVP options. Should she decline the invitation? Should she attend alone? Should she attend with a 'plus one?' There was no doubt who her plus one would be, but she was still dreading the introductions that would take place at the reunion and the fact that would be the only unmarried woman in attendance.

That is when Alex came up with an ingenious plan, one that would ensure she wasn't the only unmarried woman. She went over to her jewelry box and pulled out her late grandmother's engagement ring. The ring was a family heirloom that had been passed from her paternal great-grandmother to her grandmother and had been left to Alex in her grandmother's will. Her grandmother had always hoped to see Alex get married and have children, but when that didn't happen Alex couldn't help feeling guilty. With her grandmother in mind, she put the ring on her finger and admired its beauty and its intricate design. The solitaire diamond was no larger than one carat, but Alex—just like her grandmother and great-grandmother—was not a fan of flashy jewelry. Alex knew she'd never be able to wear it as an actual engagement ring, but she'd at least be able to pretend for one night.

Alex felt guilty for lying to her sorority sisters, but there was no way she was going to suffer any embarrassment while the other women were talking about their spouses, their children, or even their _divorces_. There was also the embarrassment that could come about if she were caught in her lie, but Alex hadn't seen these women since college and the only time she heard about their lives was in the quarterly newsletter that was e-mailed to her. She knew they would ask why Alex hadn't informed the alumni relations officer that she had gotten married, but Alex already had an answer in mind. She was going to tell them that she had been so pre-occupied with her career and married life that she had forgotten all about informing the alumni relations officer.

She hadn't been to a sorority event since graduation, but the rampant heteronormativity of her sorority was still fresh in Alex's mind. She started to feel bad for Olivia. As the only same-sex couple in attendance, Olivia would be the only woman with her sisters' husbands. Alex knew Olivia could hold her own while with a group of men, but she still worried about the obnoxious, yet inevitable questions Olivia would be asked: are you a top or a bottom? Are you into threesomes? Can I watch? The two of them had been asked those questions countless times and they never ceased to annoy them. She knew her girlfriend was a strong woman and could easily fend them off, but she still hated putting her in that situation. She thought about not attending, but what would be her reason for not attending?

Alex was brought out of her daze by the sound of her apartment door opening. She hadn't expected her girlfriend to arrive so soon and she had absolutely no time to get ready for her. Before telling Olivia about the reunion, she had planned on fixing her hair and wearing something sexy for her, but now she had to settle for what she was currently wearing: one of Olivia's old NYPD shirts that she had given to her ten years ago and a pair of yoga pants.

Hoping her ensemble would remind Olivia of the beginning of their relationship, Alex hurriedly made her way over to her girlfriend. Instead of saying hello, Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia and started to kiss her.

"What did I do to deserve this greeting?" Olivia asked.

"It's because I love you," Alex said. Even though she was being sincere, she still hoped it would butter up her girlfriend.

"I love you, too," Olivia responded. "It's been years since I've seen you in that shirt. You still look beautiful in it."

"You think I look beautiful right now?" Alex asked in shock.

"This is when you're at your most beautiful," Olivia told her.

Her girlfriend was being so sweet and Alex almost felt bad about telling her what she had planned—almost. Before Alex could say anything, Olivia grabbed her by the hand and led her over to the couch so they could cuddle with each other. The two of them always cuddled after making love or on the rare occasion that they had a few moments to spare in the morning, but lately they had become more comfortable with routines in their relationship and cuddling became less frequent. For some reason, Olivia was suddenly being more affectionate with her and Alex had to know why.

"Liv?" Alex asked as she was cuddled up to her girlfriend.

"Yes, babe?"

"What made you want to cuddle all of a sudden?"

"No reason," Olivia insisted, but Alex knew her girlfriend was up to something. She decided to use the reunion as a test. If Olivia agreed to her plan, she was _definitely _up to something.

"Liv?" Alex asked again.

"What's up?"

"My sorority is having a reunion in three weeks and I told the alumni relations officer that we'd attend."

"That's fine with me," Olivia told her.

"I was thinking we'd attend as a married couple," Alex informed her. "I don't want to be the only unmarried woman at the reunion, so I've decided to wear my grandmother's engagement ring and tell everyone that we're newlyweds."

"Okay," Olivia said nonchalantly. When Alex looked at her girlfriend, she noticed the slightest hint of a smile.

"Olivia, you just agreed to go to a sorority reunion while posing as my wife?"

"Yes, I did," Olivia said before gently tucking a few strands of hair behind her girlfriend's ear.

_Olivia Benson is definitely up to something_, Alex thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**D is for diamond…**

The reunion had gone better than Alex had expected and she was grateful for her girlfriend being by her side the entire time. While they were at the reunion, the two of them looked at pictures of Alex in college. Her looks hadn't changed that much, but as is the case with almost everyone, her hairstyles and clothing had changed drastically. Alex was feeling insecure about being around these women, many of whom no longer looked the same because of breast implants, spray tans, and Botox, but when Olivia told her that she was the most beautiful woman in the room she believed her. Olivia always had a way of making Alex feel beautiful even when she was at her most insecure.

Their plan to pose as a married couple worked perfectly and the two of them had everyone convinced. They were asked questions about their wedding and why nobody from the sorority was invited, but Alex was forgiven when she told them there was never a wedding and that they had used the money that was going to be put towards their wedding on a honeymoon instead. It wasn't an outright lie except for the part about the honeymoon.

What bothered Alex was the ride home after the reunion when she had to go back to being Olivia's girlfriend instead of her wife. She kept the ring on her finger for the entire drive home until she realized it was useless to keep it on. When they parted ways that night, Alex placed the ring back into her jewelry box and wondered if she'd ever be able to wear it as an engagement ring.

A week had passed since the reunion—a week in which Alex didn't see her girlfriend. Every time she tried to get together with Olivia, she'd make up an excuse for her not to come over. Alex knew Olivia was a busy woman but she could always recognize when Olivia was telling the truth about being busy and when she was trying to avoid her. This time it was the latter and Alex would have gone over to her place to demand an explanation had she not received a voicemail from Olivia asking her to come over. Usually, the two of them showed up at each other's apartments unannounced, but when Olivia told her a specific time to arrive, she started to become worried.

Alex was surprised to see her girlfriend waiting for her with a Scrabble board set up. The two of them had never played any board games together and Alex started to wonder what had come over Olivia. She had been different these past few weeks in a way that Alex couldn't quite explain to her friends. Some were still telling Alex to leave her, but leaving Olivia was something Alex couldn't even fathom. She loved her girlfriend regardless of what people told her. Alex wished they could see _this _Olivia, the woman sitting near the coffee table, smiling at Alex in her pajama pants and a tank top.

"Make yourself comfortable," Olivia urged Alex, which was a request for her to change into her pajamas. After ten years, the two of them had reached a level of comfort in their relationship. They had seen each other sick, they had seen each other without any makeup and they still thought the other was beautiful regardless.

Alex took a seat next to her girlfriend although she knew Olivia was going to force her to sit somewhere else. She was hoping Olivia would want some time to cuddle with her or even kiss her, but all Alex was given was a quick peck on the lips.

"You can't sit next to me," Olivia insisted. "I don't trust you right now."

"Are you calling me a cheater?" Alex asked before stealing another kiss.

"No," Olivia said, gently squeezing her hand. "But we're both competitive and I know you'll stop at nothing to win."

Knowing her girlfriend was right, Alex snatched the bag of letters from her and retired to the other side. She slowly picked out seven letters one-by-one for the sheer purpose of annoying Olivia, but Alex soon noticed that her girlfriend looked more nervous than annoyed.

"Something you want to tell me?" Alex asked.

"Just hurry," Olivia said, trying to sound as playful as she could but Alex still saw right through her.

"Liv, you're shaking."

"I'm fine, babe. You can go first."

Alex looked at the row of letters in front of her. There was really not much she could do with what she had chosen, so she put down the word "TAME."

"Tame," Alex said as she counted the amount of points she'd receive. "Isn't that what I did to you?"

The joke went unnoticed by her nervous girlfriend and, as much as Alex wanted to ask her why she was so shaky tonight, she knew Olivia would never give her an answer. Instead, she wrote down their names and her score as Olivia put her letters down. Alex saw that Olivia's letters were nowhere near hers. She was about to explain the rules of the game to Olivia when she looked at the letters Olivia had placed on the board. At the top left hand corner, were the words "MARRY ME" spelled out in Scrabble tiles.

"Liv?" Alex asked softly and smiled at her girlfriend. "Are you—"

"Yes!" Olivia reassured her. "Alex, will you marry me?"

"It took you ten years to give me a key to your apartment and now you're asking me to marry you?" Alex asked playfully. "What happened to my girlfriend?"

"When we were pretending to be married to each other at your reunion, I realized how much I'd like to _actually _be married to you. I was going to give you the ring your grandmother gave you, but I didn't want to take it from your jewelry box."

"Babe, I don't care about a ring right now," Alex said excitedly. "We can worry about that later. We're getting married, Olivia! Rings are the last thing on my mind. I want to tell everyone. I have to call my dad."

Olivia smiled at her. "He already knows, Alex."

"He does?"

"Last week, I asked for his permission to marry you," Olivia explained. "I want to do this right, Alex. Whether we have a wedding or not is entirely up to you. All I want is for you to be mine for the rest of our lives."

Should they have a wedding? Should they use that money toward their honeymoon instead? None of that mattered to Alex at that moment. All she wanted was to feel her woman's body on hers. After ten years, she was _finally _Olivia's fiancée.

"Let's go to your room," Alex suggested. "I want to celebrate our engagement."


End file.
